A morning at the food markets in Hanoi, Vietnam

When in Hanoi, I visited food markets down a tiny side alley. Not only was this a completely unique experience for me, it was even a little confronting to see food presented in this way. No refrigeration for the meat, vegetables presented on top of tarps and fish and chickens killed in front of you when you picked the one you wanted.

The photo of the lady in red on the moped holding the chicken is particularly meaningful. Soon after this photo was taken, the chicken was weighed, placed in a restraint and its neck slit to drain the blood.

It was amazing to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional food market, because we’re so used to visiting a supermarket for all of our needs in Australia. I felt like I really experienced a whole new side of Vietnam that day, and not just something you would see as a tourist.

Apologies for the quality of the images in the video. It’s better viewed in HD on Vimeo , where it was originally published by me for a university journalism trip overseas or on www.vietnamtoday.com.au